How to Stop Autoplay Videos in Google Chrome

There are few things on the modern internet more frustrating than opening a news article in a new tab, only to be instantly bombarded by the loud, unavoidable audio of an auto-playing video advertisement you never asked to watch. In the past, Google Chrome included a simple, globally accessible “Block Autoplay” button within its settings menu. Unfortunately, to appease web developers and publishers who rely on video advertising, Google deliberately removed this blanket toggle several years ago. While there is no longer a perfect, one-click native solution to stop autoplay videos in Google Chrome, you can still reclaim your browsing experience using a combination of targeted site muting and reliable third-party extensions.

Method 1: Mute Sites Natively in Chrome

While Chrome will not let you stop the video file from downloading and playing visually, it does allow you to permanently silence the audio from specific, repeat-offender websites. If a particular news portal always blasts audio at you, you can mute that entire domain.

1. Navigate to the website that frequently plays unwanted video audio.
2. Look at the URL address bar at the top of the browser. Click the small padlock icon (or the “View site information” icon) located directly to the left of the website’s URL.
3. Select Site settings from the drop-down menu. A new Chrome settings tab will open specifically for that domain.
4. Scroll down the list of permissions until you find Sound.
5. Click the drop-down menu next to Sound (which usually says “Automatic (default)”) and change it to Mute.

From now on, whenever you visit that specific website, the videos may still visually play, but they will be completely silent, preventing sudden, jarring interruptions in the office or late at night.

Method 2: Use the AutoplayStopper Extension

If muting audio is not enough and you want to stop the videos from playing visually (which saves significant battery life and bandwidth), you must use a third-party extension. AutoplayStopper is widely considered the most effective, lightweight tool for this specific job.

1. Open Google Chrome and navigate to the Chrome Web Store.
2. Search for AutoplayStopper and locate the extension.
3. Click Add to Chrome and confirm the installation permissions.
4. Once installed, you will see a small, red “pause” icon in your extensions toolbar at the top right of the browser.

By default, this extension aggressively blocks HTML5 video elements from playing until you physically click on them. If you visit a video platform where you do want videos to autoplay (like YouTube or Netflix), simply click the AutoplayStopper icon in the toolbar and select Allow autoplay for [websitename] to whitelist that specific domain.

Method 3: Disable Chrome Media Preloading (Advanced)

Sometimes, Chrome attempts to intelligently preload heavy media elements (like videos) before you even scroll down to them. Disabling this can help prevent unwanted media from loading in the background.

1. Click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner of Chrome and select Settings.
2. In the left-hand sidebar, click on Performance.
3. Ensure that the Memory Saver toggle is switched On. This aggressively puts background tabs to sleep, stopping videos from playing in tabs you are not actively viewing.
4. Next, go to Privacy and security in the left sidebar, then click Cookies and other site data.
5. Turn off the toggle for Preload pages for faster browsing and searching. This prevents Chrome from aggressively downloading video assets before you explicitly click on them.

Best Practices for Managing Media

Because the web is increasingly reliant on video content, adopting a hybrid approach is the most effective strategy. Use native site muting for domains you trust but find annoying, and rely on extensions like AutoplayStopper for random browsing. Furthermore, if you are browsing on a laptop, simply leaving your device on “Battery Saver” mode in Windows or macOS often triggers Chrome to automatically throttle auto-playing videos to conserve power, providing a passive, built-in defence against unwanted media.